Sonos app stops working when it detected an update

Good grief.  If I actually believed all that conspiracy BS, I wouldn’t have a Sonos device within 300 miles of my home.  Never mind going through the trouble of blocking access, it would be on e-Bay or tossed in the dump.  

Well, I never said that SONOS does spy on people or that the aliens have taken over some peoples brains. So keep things on a technical level please.

My thinking runs along risk considerations. A risk based approach to security is highly recommended as it is what corporate and government IT do.

The base line is, that SONOS establishes a network connection from the local boxes to their servers. To pull updates, do some advanced audio optimization, there is no real way around that. I am good with that.

The challenge for me pops up in the combination of a web interface that can control my home boxes. That means there is a constant outbound connection from my boxes. You toss in the software management qualities at SONOS, you get a pretty high risk that I am not willing to take.

Interestingly, nobody in this thread has brought up arguments the contradict my perception => bad software management, constant network connections, crapy security, enforced updates … how you interpret those data points is up to you.

I think you’re absolutely right. There is no greater risk to personal data security than Sonos seeing what track you’re playing. Trump and Musk will be sifting through this information as we speak. 
edit: I do respect you have the right to make individual choices on risk. 

Maybe it becomes more clear this way:

Imagine you buy your steaks from this great butcher shop. Really great steaks. Then, one evening in the bar, you see this guy from the butcher shop leaving the toilet without washing his hands. That does make you wonder, what else is happening when your steaks are cut, right?

So, now I have this steak in my fridge and this picture of the guy who touched my steak without washing his hands in my mind. What do you do? Well, I personally, will eat steaks from that shop well done only. Because that is my compromise to be able to consume the stake at all - it will get any germs cooked out of the flesh.

Naturally, if you do not have an understanding what it means that some body does not wash their hands when handling raw meat, you will still eat the steak and simply not worry about it.

When moving this into the software security world, I do understand what a secure software development life cycle (SDOL) is and what it means. I do understand what it takes to develop and operate a cloud service that is up to common security standards. And SONOS has indicated multiple times that they are not on top of this - simply put, I have seen them numerous times to not wash their hands. Does that mean their software is insecure? Not necessarily. But I don`t eat their steak with comfort any more. 

So no more direct network connections from a device with a microphone in my house to a untrusted cloud service. Feel free to eat your steak as you like it.

Yes Sonos has made a mess with the new app. But I have seen no mention of this having any consequences for the security of the system.

To stay with your analogy, I’ve seen the butcher cut the steak the wrong way once, but have seen no evidence of him not washing his hands…….